Matt Schultz, a Council Bluffs councilman who is running for Secretary of State in Iowa picked up a couple of legislative endorsements.
His campaign announced today:
Councilman Matt Schultz today released his first legislative endorsements to the media.
Councilman Schultz has spent the last several months building a campaign team that includes a number of Iowa legislators.
“I am excited about all of the interest and support we have received and I am proud to announce our campaign’s first round of legislative endorsements coming from Former Speaker of the House Brent Siegrist, Representative Doug Struyk and Representative Greg Forristall.” said Schultz.
“Matt is a strong conservative voice for fiscal responsibility and business in Council Bluffs, and I know that he will serve the people of Iowa and be a strong voice for Iowa jobs and business as our Secretary of State,” said Representative Doug Struyk.
Over the next eight weeks Councilman Schultz will be continuing to announce the rest of his campaign team as he travels around the State bringing his message of accountability in elections and standing up for Iowa jobs and business.
The unimaginable wrecking anguish that grips a family when a child goes missing can not be adequately expressed by mere words. In the past few weeks I have received two specific emails from friends who in some way have experienced this in their own lives or in the lives of close relatives. The pain that I feel for these families can only hint at the deep sorrow and worry they carry.
Most recently, a young teen named Joel ran away on February 22, 2010, from a ranch in Escondido, California where he had been sent for rehabilitation. Facebook, fliers, and email have been utilized to get the word out, so this young man may be found and brought back to safety. A recent update states that he is hiding out and does have food, but that does little to quell the fear and concern the family has for the boy they love.
There is still hope for a happy ending in this case.
The next story has made national headlines. Here is an excerpt from the other email I received from my friend, asking for continued prayer for a young girl who disappeared over a year ago.
As you may know, my stepmother’s niece, Amber Dubois went missing last February 13th …just yards from the front gate of her school at Escondido High. At the time, she was just 14. It’s hard to believe that one year later, Amber is still missing and that I am writing to you about it. But here we are. Living with the effects of child abduction is 24/7. And for a parent, Amber’s Dad said it best, “You’re scared beyond belief the first 24 hours. After that words can’t communicate the horror of your child going missing.”
Many may recognize this name as it is now infamously linked to the Chelsea King case in San Diego, California. Sadly, I received this email on February 8th, two week prior to Chelsea’s abduction. Following a lead, Amber’s remains were found by Escondido police on March 6, 2010.
Tragedy entered the lives of these teens and changed their families forever. We as parents must be vigilant for our children, recognizing that evil does in fact exist, and equipping our kids with the tools needed to recognize danger.
The man arrested for the rape and murder of Chelsea King is John Albert Gardner III. ”A 2000 probation report on John Albert Gardner III depicts an erratic and violent young man. He is now charged with killing 17-year-old Chelsea King of Poway”, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The New York Daily News.com reported, “He (John Albert Gardner III) had faced a maximum of nearly 11 years in prison under terms of a plea agreement, but prosecutors urged six years. Dr. Matthew Carroll, a court-appointed psychiatrist who interviewed Gardner, had urged the maximum sentence allowed by law. He said in court documents that Gardner was a “continued danger to underage girls in the community” and an “extremely poor candidate” for treatment.” Gardner was convicted of molesting a 13-year-old neighbor girl in May of 2000. He served only five of his six-year prison term.
800,000 children younger than 18 are missing each year, or an average of 2,000 children reported missing each day.
200,000 children were were abducted by family members.
58,000 children were abducted by nonfamily members, and
115 children were the victims of “stereotypical” kidnapping. These crimes involve someone the child does not know, or knows only slightly, who holds the child overnight, transports the child 50 miles or more, kills the child, demands ransom, or intends to keep the child permanently.
California implemented Megan’s Law on September 24, 2004, designed to “expanded access to the public for the first time to use their personal computers to view information on sex offenders required to register with local law enforcement under California’s Megan’s Law”.
A sexually violent predator or a serious paroled sex offender cannot live within one-fourth of a mile of a school, and high-risk paroled sex offenders cannot live within one-half mile of a school, daycare center, or place where children congregate.
The website familywatchdog, allows individuals to research the database, to see if there are any registered sex offenders in their neighborhood, with the goal of knowing one’s neighborhood, empowering one’s children and changing the laws. As I researched my town, I discovered that an offender lived within 0.3 miles of an elementary school and two lived less than a half mile from the middle school. Both of these examples demonstrate how easy it is for registered sex offenders to break the law with no repercussions. To expect an offender to follow a statute meant to keep children safe, when they are the perpetrators of evil against children is ludicrous.
There are tools that a can help us keep our children safe. We must teach them to be wise as serpents. We must make an effort to get to know everyone with whom our children hang out, as well as those who have authority type positions in their lives. We should not live in anxious fear when our children are not in our line of sight either, but utilize this sad reminder to “predator proof” our children.
My heart and prayers are with the three families mentioned in this blog. Each are undergoing circumstances that are life altering. Please keep Joel Pratt and his family, the King Family and the Dubios Family in your prayers.
As we move closer to the demise of this awful healthcare bill President Obama and other Democratic leadership are pushing harder and harder to publicize their fear mongering and play off our emotions as opposed to using fact. There seems to be no burden of proof needed to fight for a $1.2 trillion healthcare bill. One of the lies I’ve noticed recently is that Obama plans on controlling healthcare costs by monitoring premiums to ensure none are excessive in cost. Then of course, he would offer a public alternative in those cases where we could not afford private insurance premiums.
If Obama took even 30 seconds to look at the supply-chain of medical care he would quickly realize he’s thinking backwards and that insurance premiums have absolutely nothing to do with the cost of healthcare. Insurance premiums are the conduit for insurance companies to pay our bills in a profitable way. Based on the profitability of the insurance industry the accusations of price gouging are not credible and I don’t give heed to team Obama’s claimed frequency in which gouging occurs.
Instead of focusing on the real costs, they maliciously attack insurance companies to sway American voters in the voting booth. Starting out with manufacturers of healthcare technology and pharmaceuticals, the costs are already out of control. These manufacturers incur costs doing pre-clinical trial research. They then go through three clinical trials and move on to final FDA approval. After which, post-trial marketing and distribution adds even more to these costs. While there is a lack of global competition in terms of pharmaceuticals, in the US their patents are so short that after testing they often have less than a decade to recoup the costs of hundreds of millions of dollars and more.
Then we move on to the facilities that deliver the care and utilize this technology and pharmaceuticals in treatments. These facilities are forced to treat millions of illegal immigrants every year costing billions. The healthcare practitioners are only a lawsuit or two away from going bankrupt so they spend millions on defensive, unnecessary medical treatments on top of their incredibly expensive malpractice insurance. They have to do this AND make a profit so the US can continue to offer the best healthcare in the world.
Now we arrive at the insurance companies. They now have to pay for our healthcare consumption and turn a profit so they stay in business. These companies have some great HSA high deductible plans and then they have "pre-paid" medical expense plans. As Americans consume more and more healthcare, these companies have to try to cover our costs while still making a profit. Yet, we are the ones increasing demand, not the insurance companies – so who is to blame for increased healthcare costs? We are.
When you look at the supply-chain and delivery of healthcare in our country, attacking premiums is NOT the way to fix healthcare. The New York Times had an article March 8th talking about this very thing. Obama wants to block excessive premiums as defined by a government agency.
"Federal officials will focus on holding down premiums while state officials focus on the solvency of insurers, the ultimate consumer protection.
Economists say that holding down premiums does not necessarily hold down the cost of care, which reflects the prices charged by doctors and hospitals and the volume of services."
All team Obama will do here is undermine the solvency of insurance companies. I don’t think Obama is a stupid person, in fact, he’s very educated. So I can only assume he fully understands that blocking premium hikes as demand for services increase will be the defining moment for the demise of health insurance companies. Leaving no one but the government to carry the burden and power. While I don’t allege to know Obama’s reasoning or plans behind this obviously negligent choice, I do know he is completely disregarding the foundation of our economy, the constitution and our Republic.
Don’t be manipulated by these malicious attacks. Nothing they propose will either control costs or improve care. On the contrary, they will increase costs and decrease care. We cannot afford to let them win.
Dave Funk is a Republican candidate for Iowa’s Third Congressional District Seat.
Epic Fail -A mistake of such monumental proportions that it requires its own term in order to successfully point out the unfathomable shortcomings of an individual or group.
Epic Fail, a term used by many high schoolers today, may be a useful term to describe the Senate Health Care plan. Epic: “of unusually great size or extent” Fail: “To prove deficient or lacking; perform ineffectively or inadequately”.
The failure does not stem from lack of trying, but from lack of listening to those for whom the legislation is supposed to be concerning. The failure is due to a stubbornness that chooses to ignore alternative ideas, because an ideology, that is counter to the American way, has infected those in the position of leadership. The failure is not within the health care system, as innovation and expertise has made it the greatest system in the world, but it is found in the bureaucratic piles of needless paperwork, the greed that drives lawsuits, the regulations that tie the hands of doctors, and the state mandates on insurance companies that keep them from entering the competitive market place nationwide. There is certainly a need for a cure in the system, but not the need to euthanize the system as we know it.
Congressman Rogers’ from Michigan makes a poignant argument on Health Care last July, 2009 regarding the reform legislation in Congress in the following video. Calling one’s respective leaders today is crucial to stop this legislation and demand a better solution. Mediocrity is not the American way, and this Senate solution to healthcare falls far below the level a mediocrity, it will be an Epic Failure.
Republican Party of Iowa State Central Committee member Bill Schickel has resigned as Secretary of the Party in order to support the gubernatorial campaign of State Representative Rod Roberts. Schickel said he resigned because officers have agreed to remain neutral in the primary. He will, however, complete his term as a member of the State Central Committee representing the 4th District.
“I can no longer remain neutral,” said Schickel, a former state representative and Mason City mayor. “Our party is currently divided. Neither of the frontrunners has shown that they can bring the two sides together. If the current division continues we will certainly lose in November. Rod Roberts has the best chance of beating Chet Culver.”
“He is the only candidate who has demonstrated he can bring together the fiscal and social conservative wings of our party. He has also proven that he can attract the Independents and Democrats that are critical to victory,” Schickel said. “He has done it during the campaign. He did it as a state representative. And he did it in five previous elections.”
“Rod is an underdog right now, but he is also the candidate with momentum,” Schickel said. “While the numbers for the frontrunners have remained essentially flat, Rod in the past three months has gone from almost no voter recognition to capturing 19 percent of the Republican vote in the Dallas County straw poll and winning the Guthrie County straw poll this past weekend.”
“Whenever Republicans meet him, they are won over,” Schickel said. “He is a solid fiscal and social conservative who is also a fresh face. That is exactly what our party needs, and more importantly, what Iowa needs.”
Yesterday, the Iowa House voted to suspend the rules and pass an amendment to the texting ban over the objection of Speaker Pat Murphy. This vote was significant for a couple of reasons. First, it highlighted the breakup of the monolithic Democrat power structure in the House as individual members begin to weigh the personal cost of blindly following leadership into a difficult reelection cycle. The vote also exposed the recent comments form Democrat members who said they “could not break with leadership on a procedural vote” to support marriage as either ignorant or ingenuous.
Former Speaker Pro-Tem of the Iowa House, and IFPC Action Board Chairman, Danny Carroll, commented on yesterdays vote. He said, “We have been telling the people of Iowa all along that a suspension of the rules to bring the Iowa Marriage Amendment to the floor was possible, and that the Democrats who said otherwise were not being honest with them.”
In a remarkable example of political ineptitude, House Democrats yesterday took action that directly contradicted the talking points they have been using to deflect criticism from marriage supporters. According to Carroll, “The Democrat party in general, and those 11 Democrats who voted to suspend the rules yesterday but did not vote to suspend when marriage was the issue, have not been honest with the people of Iowa and now have a lot of explaining to do.”
With thousands of Iowans all across the state actively engaged with politicians as a direct result of last year’s unconstitutional Iowa Supreme Court opinion, and with the knowledge that the LUV Iowa marriage rally at the capitol this January was twice as large as the 500 who came a year ago, yesterday’s vote would seem like a perfect opportunity for Republican leaders to claim the high ground and partner with marriage proponents. Of his friends in the Republican Party, Carroll said, “I am confident that Republican Party leaders will take advantage of the opportunity yesterday’s vote represents.”
Carroll was quick to praise Republican members of the Iowa Legislature for their action this session. He said, “Republicans in the House and Senate understand how important marriage is to their constituents. They took action this session to try to move the Iowa Marriage Amendment in both chambers. It is time for state party leaders to stand by their elected officials, represent rank and file Republican voters, and to reach out to pro-family independents and Democrat voters by turning up the heat on the 11 Democrats who voted yesterday but were unwilling to cast a similar vote in support of marriage.”
Pointing out that the people of Iowa are willing to follow when leaders step up and lead, Carroll went on to say, “Now is the time for the Republican Party of Iowa to step up, seize this opportunity to do the right thing, and take action on an issue that is very important to a large segment of the people they claim to represent. In addition they should take advantage of this Democrat gaff heading into the upcoming election cycle.” He concluded by saying, “With the dramatic increase in civic involvement by average citizens over the last year, it’s time for the folks in positions of party leadership to heed the advice of that old saying and ‘strike while the iron is hot.’”
When my wife and I decided to homeschool our kids we were asked about socialization. Our parents and extended family, friends, etc. Even today I’ll occasionally have work acquaintances and even complete strangers ask, “well what about socialization?”
What about it? We homeschool because we are concerned about socialization. I was waiting for the question or the topic to come up in my interview on Mac’s World Live this morning (I’ll embed show once it is available), and I was not disappointed.
It was actually a question that I had when Cheryl and I first discussed homeschooling… “what about socialization?”
Well most people who bring this up as an argument usually do not have any data to back up their claim. Sure they could point out a family here or there as anecdotal evidence, but sitting here I can think of numerous kids in the public school system or products of the system who are socially awkward as well.
That’s, however, an entirely different conversation that would have to focus on particular individual families.
When people ask about socialization they are usually wondering about “horizontal socialization.” How much time are your kids interacting with children of their own age. It is like some think that we cage our kids up and never let them be around other children.
If you wonder about this type of socialization, let me ask you a question…
If you stick a 6th grade boy with a bunch of 6th graders what is he going to learn to become? Who will he be best equipped to interact with?
He will learn to be a “better 6th grader.” He’ll be comfortable interacting with kids his own age. How does that prepare him for life? When else in life will he ever be faced with the same type of homogeneous age groupings?
Never.
You see my kids are socialized – “vertical socialization.” My wife and I are the primary influencers, not their peer group. Does anybody want to dispute that as not being a good thing? You see my kids, and other homeschoolers don’t mold to the groupthink that says, “adults in general and parents in particular aren’t cool to talk to.”
Most homeschoolers naturally can carry on conversations with adults and are comfortable doing so. I’ve gotten positive feedback from numerous adults about how my kids interact with them (as well as their behavior). I’ve noticed that with other homeschooled children as well, you can easily carry on a conversation with them. Why?
Because they are spending a lot of time with parents, other adults, older children, and younger children. They are rarely in social settings where it is entirely kids of their own age. I think this is a good thing, that’s life! The homogenous age groupings you see in schools (which usually gets reinforced in church) isn’t real life, and does little to prepare a kid for the real world.
I was then asked about parents who hover… what about them? Is that always a bad thing? You see these parents in any educational format, but I would say the norm is not “hovering” enough? Obviously throughout a child’s adolescence you want give more opportunities for independence, but that doesn’t mean you throw them to the wolves when they turn 12. Don’t you think that it is a good idea for parents to be concerned about who their children’s friends are? I do. I’ve seen the result of parents who don’t care about such things in my work.
There’s also empirical data that demonstrates the healthy socialization of homeschoolers from a 2003 study of 7300 homeschooled adults. Homeschool graduates tended to be more involved in community service, have a higher percentage who have taken college-level courses, more are members of organizations, have a higher level of civic involvement and are more engaged politically. Home school graduates tend to be more satisfied with their work and financial situation, and are generally happier in life.
Does this sound like maladjusted kids to you?
Also 95% were happy they were homeschooled, and 74% of parents with kids over the age of five homeschool their children.
There are challnges to homeschooling, but socialization isn’t one of them.
The UK Telegraph reports that a company is Switzerland is making extra-small condoms for 12-year-olds.
Wow, great idea huh?
Called the Hotshot, the condom has been produced after government research showed 12 to14-year-olds did not use sufficient protection when having sex.
The study, conducted on behalf of the Federal Commission for Children and Youth, interviewed 1,480 people aged 10 to 20.
It showed more 12 to 14-year-olds were having sex, in comparison with the 1990s.
The Hotshot condoms, which cost 7fr60 (£4.70) for a packet of six, have been created by Lamprecht AG, a leading condom manufacturer in Switzerland.
The company has said the UK would be "top priority" if they expanded abroad, considering that it has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe.
Nysse Norballe, a spokesman for the company, said: "At the moment we are only producing the Hotshot in Switzerland. But the UK is certainly a very attractive market since there is a very high rate of underage conception. The UK would definitely be top priority if we marketed abroad."
News like this as somebody who has worked with kids for 17-years just infuriates me. Why? Well, why is it that more 12-14 year-olds are having sex? Our culture… the fact that underage, premarital sex has been normalized (and encouraged by many). Then the fact they are calling this product, “the Hotshot” to make is sound cool to 12-year-olds is infuriating as well.
Then you see that the UK is a top priority for them since they have the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe. Considering that they also have the most liberal approach to sexual education it shouldn’t be any surprise that they also have the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe.
But I know, I know… abstinence-only sex education doesn’t “work.” Well, actually abstinence is the only thing that works 100% of the time it’s tried. How effective do you think condoms for 12-year-old boys will be?
The House Economic Growth Committee concluded its final committee meeting of the session by inviting Iowa businesses to testify on Iowa’s business climate. This idea was included in the House Republicans’ job creation plan rolled out last fall. The meeting marked the first time the Economic Growth committee engaged in an in-depth discussion with the private sector on the struggles facing Iowa businesses as they work to jumpstart the economy and create jobs.
The panelists participating in the meeting were Flora Schmidt of the Home Builders Association of Iowa and Mark Hanawalt of United Equipment Accessories, Inc. Schmidt is the Executive Officer for a state wide trade association comprised of 2200 small, independent business owners representing the construction, development, supplier and subcontractor industries. Hanawalt is the President and CEO of a manufacturing and distribution firm specializing in products utilized by the wind energy industry and various other sectors.
Ms. Schmidt focused her comments on regulatory mandates and the costs associated with complying with regulations adopted by state and local governments. She indicated that whenever a new code or regulation is adopted a substantial investment of time and money is spent in complying with it, and the costs are almost always passed onto the consumer. In the homebuilding industry, this means the cost is passed onto the homebuyer and is realized on the price tag of the house.
Ms. Schmidt also highlighted a number of state legislative issues and government hurdles that will increase the cost of doing business on Iowa’s employers and further exacerbate Iowa’s cloudy business climate including too many regulations versus voluntary compliance programs.
Mr. Hanawalt told a story of how his business started and walked legislators through the expansion process. He also spoke to the issues he believes will enable him to expand further and create additional jobs. A member of the committee asked him about the one thing Iowa can do, or not do, to help his business. His answer? “To put it bluntly, get out of my way. I am going to grow with or without you.”
Mr. Hanawalt spoke about the need to “leave money in the people’s pockets” or in other words, keep taxes low. He suggested that if Iowa truly wants to keep existing businesses here and attract new industries, the state must reorganize its tax code in an effort to reduce taxes across the board. He also emphasized on the importance of predictability in the tax code. Specifically, he said that implementing a long-term business plan is difficult when the state makes a decision to give businesses bonus depreciation in one year and then takes it away in the next.
Other controversial legislative proposals pending in the Iowa House, including labor bills, were discussed. Hanawalt said that every time the state discusses changing Iowa’s Right to Work status or implementing prevailing wage laws, economic development directors in Nebraska and South Dakota contact him asking if he is willing to pick up and move his operations to their state. A stark reality legislators must take into consideration when deciding whether or not to support such proposals.
The message of the meeting is consistent with what I’ve been saying….in order to turn the economy around and put Iowans back to work, the legislature must focus their efforts on policies that foster a positive economic climate. House Democrats must move away from talking about bills that deter business activity such as the bill to repeal Iowa’s right to work law. They must also stop balancing budgets on the backs of Iowa taxpayers.
Please comment open anything you like whether it’s about one of the links above or share a link of your own. Also as an open thread post you are welcome to share your rant or rave or ask a question for our contributors or readers. You are always welcome (and encouraged) to follow CT on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Also, feel free to follow me on Twitter or friend me on Facebook as well. I enjoy connecting with our readers.
By Bryan English
By Representative Kraig Paulsen, 
Some miscellany from around the net.
Recent Comments